10 UPDATE
July/August 2016 Travel News
ABTA flags up balcony danger
Retail outlets, restaurants and bars at Belfast International Airport have had record sales Record sales at Belfast International
NEW record sales figures have been achieved by retail outlets and restaurants and bars at Belfast International Airport.
Even before the start of the summer getaway, units operating at the airport are reporting growth in sales of up to 25 per cent - boosted by the ‘airlift’ of thousands of Northern Ireland fans heading to France for the Euro 2016 championship.
All food and bar outlets operated by SSP and Fed & Watered are experiencing ‘quite remarkable results, week-on-week’, according to Brian Carlin, Belfast International Airport Director of Commercial Development.
Retail outlets including stationers, duty free and clothing, are also enjoying increased demand. Mr Carlin said: “No sooner are records set one
week, but they are overtaken the following week. Business is brisk and that’s due mainly to the hundreds of thousands of additional seats put in place by our airlines along with the arrival of Ryanair on the Gatwick route.
“We’re nowhere near our peak in summer passenger traffic and the numbers we are witnessing, which are impressive by any standard, will easily be overtaken in coming weeks.
“Sales records are tumbling as soon as they are set which augurs well for all of our outlets and the demand that will be created for additional staff. We’ve seen hundreds of new jobs created since the end of last year and hundreds more will be added to payrolls later in the year with the addition of new routes to places such as Berlin, Warsaw and Milan.”
BTA – The Travel Association and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) are renewing calls to people heading off on holiday to take care and use their balconies safely. In 2015, tour operators reported to ABTA that three British nationals had died and three more were seriously injured after falling or jumping from balconies while on holiday overseas. This represents just a fraction of the total number of incidents. So far in 2016, there have been three balcony falls reported to the FCO, resulting in serious injury.
Many balcony falls involve young people and
alcohol. For the last five years, ABTA and the FCO have run a campaign warning of the dangers as well as providing advice and tips on staying safe, including posters for hotels popular with younger travellers. Earlier this month, there were media reports of a 34-year-old British holidaymaker who jumped from his balcony into the hotel swimming pool and remains in a critical condition after suffering a serious spinal cord injury. With the summer holiday season barely underway, this latest incident and others highlight the need for exercising caution on balconies. While ABTA has seen a reduction in the number of incidents in recent years, one fall is one too many. Nikki White, ABTA’s Director of Destinations and Sustainability, said: "As we head into the peak summer season, we are again urging holidaymakers to think about the potential risks of balconies. We see too many people badly injured or much worse because they've tried to climb over, jump or dive from their
Young people and alcohol dangerous mix A
hotel balcony. A moment of thoughtlessness can have a devastating impact, not just on the holidaymaker themselves, but also on their family and friends. By working with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, ABTA Members and local authorities in resort, we hope to help holidaymakers use their balconies sensibly and safely, as do millions of hotel guests around the world."
Will Middleton, FCO Consular Director for Southern Europe, said: “We have already seen a number of very serious injuries caused by balcony falls this summer. We really do urge people to avoid taking risks around balconies, particularly if you have been drinking. A momentary lapse of judgement can lead to a lifetime of consequences. So think balcony safety, look out for friends and avoid doing anything that might cost a life.”
· Never lean over, sit or climb on the balcony wall or railings.
ABTA and the FCO have put together a number of tips on using balconies safely, which are available online, and as a leaflet or poster. They have also been sent to ABTA Members to distribute to their suppliers overseas.
balcony.
·· Never jump into the pool from your balcony. drinking alcohol as your judgement may be affected.
Never stand on balcony furniture. Take
extra
· Don’t try to pass items to someone on another ·· Don’t climb from one balcony to another.
care on balconies after
Brian Gallagher, Annixi Nicole Tsitinis, Ambassador of Greece Katia Georgiou, Charmaine McRoberts, Lynda Betsch, Country Manager UK and Ireland, Aegean Airlines, and Jon Woolf, pictured at the launch of the new Aegean Airways service from Dublin to Athens. Aegean, which is operating twice weekly to the Greek capital, is a member of Star Alliance. For the past six years Aegean has been named Skytrax's 'Best Regional Airport in Europe' for six out of the last seven years.
Accessible Airport award for Dublin
DUBLIN Airport has won a major European award for the way in which it deals with disabled passengers and those travelling with reduced mobility. Dublin Airport won the inaugural Accessible Airport Award at ACI EUROPE’s Best Airport Awards in Athens. Separately Dublin Airport was also short-listed in the best large airport category, which was won by Heathrow Airport.
“We are absolutely delighted to win this prestigious award for accessibility ahead of all our European peers,” said Dublin Airport Managing Director Vincent Harrison. “This award recognises the significant efforts that the Dublin Airport team makes on a daily basis to ensure that disabled passengers and those with reduced mobility have the best possible airport experience. Winning this prize is a major endorsement for what we have achieved in this area to date and will encourage us to continue to improve the service that we offer to our disabled customers and to travellers with reduced mobility.”
The judges for the award found that Dublin Airport “excels in accessibility features and facilities, including adult changing places, two separate relief areas for guide dogs, fully accessible retail and
catering areas” and had service level agreements for assistance provision that exceed the European standards. The judges also cited Dublin Airport’s website accessibility, which meets the required accessibility standards for persons with disabilities. “This is Dublin Airport’s second major customer- related award in just four months, which underscores our focus on ensuring that all our passengers have the best possible experience when they use the airport,” Mr Harrison said. Earlier this year Dublin Airport was rated number one for passenger experience ahead all other European airports of a similar size in the 2015 ACI Airport Service Quality survey.
“As passenger numbers increase, we intend to continue to enhance the passenger experience for all customers. We are currently investing €10 million to upgrade the arrivals area in Terminal 1 and we also have recently installed new automatic tray return systems at passenger screening to help make this process more efficient.”
The picture shows Dublin Airport Managing Director, Vincent Harrison accepting the Accessible Airport Award from Yannis Yallouros, European Disability Forum's Executive Committee.
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